Rysher Entertainment/Summary
Background: Rysher Entertainment was founded by former Warner Bros. syndication executive Keith Samples in 1991 as a television syndication company, expanding into TV and feature film production. Cox Enterprises bought Rysher for $15 million in 1993. Rysher was shut down in 1999 by Cox, distribution rights to the company's library was acquired by Paramount Television (now "CBS Television Studios" and "CBS Television Distribution") the ownership of the library was later acquired by 2929 Entertainment in 2001 and by Qualia Capital on March 29, 2006. Most of the company's film library is currently owned by Paramount Pictures with the following exceptions: The Opposite of Sex (Sony Pictures Entertainment/Sony Pictures Classics), It Takes Two (Warner Bros. Entertainment), Big Night, Foxfire, and Hard Eight (Samuel Goldwyn Films, formally The Samuel Goldwyn Company). As for the television library, it is currently owned by CBS Corporation and distributed by CBS Television Distribution, while the Saved by the Bell franchise and California Dreams are currently owned by NBCUniversal Television Distribution while CBS Studios International has international rights to Saved by the Bell. 1st Logo (September 14, 1991-May 22, 1993) Nicknames: "Starry Chyron", "Star Night" Logo: We see a black/dark blue gradient background with dozens of stars tingling away. The words "RYSHER ENTERTAINMENT" fade in on the background in a white, generic font. "RYSHER" is on top of "ENTERTAINMENT" with both words centered and has two stars on the left and right of "ENTERTAINMENT" fade in respectively. Variants: *Sometimes "DISTRIBUTION" replaces "ENTERTAINMENT". *On the first season of Highlander, the distribution variant is still and has "Distributed by" above the logo. FX/SFX: The animation is simple, early CGI. Music/Sounds: With a deep pin drop sound and chimes, we hear a jazzy saxophone tune that almost sounds like Kenny G playing. On Highlander, the logo is silent. Availability: Uncommon. It appears on Saved By the Bell reruns, which retains the logo on Me-TV and the DVD box sets (some syndicated airings instead contain the NBCUniversal logo). It also appears on both U.S. syndicated airings of A Cry in the Night and Weep No More, My Lady, and original syndicated prints of Captain N & The Video Game Masters, following the DiC Entertainment logo. The distribution variant is very rare, as it was seen on The Uptown Comedy Club, Prime Suspect, and the first season of Highlander: The Series, but new prints of Highlander do not feature this logo. 2nd Logo (May 22, 1993-May 16, 1996) Nicknames: "The Buildings", "Purple Skyline", "Starry Night's Cousin" Logo: On the top half of the screen, there is a picture of a city (in a purple gradient color) (with hills in the background) at what appears to be sunset. The words "RYSHER ENTERTAINMENT" is shown below in a purple gradient color. "RYSHER" is in a large extremely condensed Times New Roman-style font and "ENTERTAINMENT" is seen in a smallish font below it, to fit the length of "RYSHER". The sun "sets" and stars and the lights in the city buildings appear (as it was turning to a purple night sky), the moon then appears on the sky, and the text turns beige. A comet streaks in the city sky as the animation finishes. Variants: *Some earlier variants had the text read "RYSHER TPE", with a line under "YSHE", and the text shrinks as it sets. It was used from 1993 to 1994, following the merger with Television Program Enterprises, and it was retained on season 1 of Lonesome Dove: The Series, after the logo ended. *A warp speed version of the logo exists. *Sometimes, "Produced in Association with" is shown above the logo. *One version of the logo featured first only the city skyline, then the text "RYSHER ENTERTAINMENT", first in red fading in, then the text turns yellow as it sets with "and" fading in below as it turns to a night sky. *A variant exists where the finished logo stays on screen longer than normal. *Another variant exists where the animation seems to be slowed down. *There are filmed and videotaped versions. *There is a version of the filmed logo that was cropped to 16:9 widescreen. FX/SFX: The sky fading and comet. Music/Sounds: A mellow horn tune with synth drums plays, with what sounds like a bird screeching (which was probably just a flute) at the end of the music. In other cases, it used only the opening/closing theme of the show or TV movie, or it's silent. Music/Sounds Variants: *There is also an extended version of the 1993 music. *A short version of the music exists. *On Mr. Stitch, a buzzing sound is heard once the comet streaks. Availability: Common. It appears on syndicated reruns of Saved by the Bell: The College Years, season 1 of One West Waikiki, the short-lived Fox show VR.5, 1994-1995 episodes of Star Search and Highlander: The Series, and early feature films like Fall from Grace, Judicial Consent, Above Suspicion, Mr. Stitch, Bodily Harm, Chameleon, and A Passion to Kill. The Rysher TPE logo is rare, but still remains intact on all 4 episodes of Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style, original prints of season two Highlander episodes, 1993-1994 episodes of Star Search and Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, the short-lived series Wavelength, season 1 of Lonesome Dove: The Series, and The Uptown Comedy Club, and also appears on the pilot of Robocop: The Series, "The Future of Law Enforcement," which can be found on VHS. The "Rysher Entertainment and" variant can be seen on Shattered Image. The extended variant was seen on Thunder in Paradise. The "slowed-down" variant appeared on a Polish dub of the TV movie Siringo. Although the next logo was introduced, the logo remained in use on Lonesome Dove: The Series. 3rd Logo (April 28, 1995-February 24, 2002) Nicknames: "The Buildings II", "CGI City Skyline", "Blue Skyline", "Starry Night's Cousin II" Logo: On a blue-purple gradient night sky, there is a picture of mountain. The moon slowly rises on the sky. A CGI version of the city skyline from the previous logo appears, with the lights already on. As the logo fades in, the yellow words "RYSHER" in the same font as before zooming in, below the skyline. The words "ENTERTAINMENT" fades in below "RYSHER" in the same color, spaced to fit the length of "RYSHER". The night sky, mountains and the city then darkens as the logo progresses, turning it to become a black-blue gradient. The byline "A COX C O M P A N Y" in the same color as the text appear beneath the logo with "COX" being in its own logo. A comet streaks in the city sky as the animation finishes, just like the previous logo. The end result is similar to the previous logo, only with hills replacing mountains. Variants: *A short version of the videotaped logo exists on TV shows. There are two versions. One with the text already formed and the byline fades in. The other version is the text and byline already formed. *A shortened version of the filmed logo appears on a few TV movies like Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny and widescreen prints of Highlander: The Raven. *On HBO Comedy Showcase, the videotaped version is sped up. *Sometimes, "in association with", "And in Association with", or "Produced in Association with" would be seen above the logo. *Like the previous logo, there are filmed and videotaped versions. The filmed version has the text and byline in smaller, while the videotaped version has the text and byline in bigger. FX/SFX: The text zooming and the comet moving. Music/Sounds: A whoosh sound as the comet is streaking. Otherwise, none, the opening/closing theme of the movie or TV show or the music from the first two logos. CBS airings of Nash Bridges, Dellaventura, and Four Corners used a generic theme. Availability: Common. It appears on the first five seasons of HBO's show Oz, the final three seasons of Highlander, and the first three seasons of Nash Bridges (modern prints of season four have it plastered by the CBS Television Distribution logo). It was also used on the first season of Judge Mills Lane from 1998-99, television movies like Buried Secrets, A Kidnapping in the Family, A Weekend in the Country, Firehouse, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny, Close to Danger, Suddenly, When Secrets Kill, Martian Law and What We Did That Night? and is retained on feature films produced by Rysher. It was kept intact on Destiny Turns on the Radio, Three Wishes, White Man's Burden, Private Parts, Zeus and Roxanne, 2 Days in the Valley, Big Night, Gunfighter's Moon, Hard Eight, Let It Be Me, Perfect Alibi, White Man's Burden, Dear God, Escape from L.A., The Evening Star, Foxfire, Primal Fear, Rasputin, Switchback, Kiss the Girls, The Saint, A Smile Like Yours, The Opposite of Sex, It Takes Two, Turbulence, House Arrest, The Eighteenth Angel, and Kingpin. It also appeared on USA High, F/X: The Series, Bill Maher: The Golden Goose Special, Dellaventura, Strange Universe, George and Alana, season 2 of One West Waikiki, SOF: Soldier of Fortune, Inc. (aka SOF: Special Ops Force by its second season), Highlander: The Raven, and the UPN show Live Shot.